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#1
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BMW motorcycle owners...
I know a lot of you guys ride motorcycles, and I even see some BMWs in your sigs. I'm currently watching Long Way Around on Netflix with their BMW GSs and I've been looking at BMWs.
I know they can take a beating and they eat up the miles but I dot really know anymore about them. Are they reliable? Are they DIY friendly? Are parts available for older ones? This will be a ride around explore the back roads (including GSMNP) bike and maybe see some daily use. No cross country trips right now due to kiddos at the house. Specific models I am looking at are: R1200c - because Bond. James Bond. F650GS G650 cross country Thanks
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Ryan 1976 911S Targa 3.2 swap Last edited by pookie; 07-23-2014 at 07:55 AM. |
#2
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Reliable? Yes.
DIY friendly? Yes Parts available? Yes. There was an article in Roudel about how a dealer ordered all but 6 parts to make a brand new 1978 R100. R1200c: even James Bond can't make that cool.
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1983 911 SC Targa - 1990 944 S2 |
#3
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Id agree. Very reliable. Parts are usually fairly easy to get. I used to go to Bobs in Jessup when I rebuilt an old R100RS. They had most of what I needed and it was alot. Price .... its still a BMW, lol.
Tons of buddys rocking GS's. They love them. A few others had the larger K1200rs and swapped for the Kawasaki Concourse for a nice cruiser with rice rocket speed.
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Current 07 Mini Copper S 99 Dodge Viper ACR 65 Shelby 427 SC 07 Ducati 1098 17 Alfa Giulia Quadrifoglio Projects 86 "Backdate" 911 2.8 RSR 73 911 T Targa (Sold) |
#4
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GS's are big bikes, nothing wrong with that but you really need to ride one and figure out if it works for you. Lots of good options out there if you like the adventure look/idea/functionality for the price of a bmw abs repair.
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78 SC, the 'Red Car' |
#5
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since no one else said it...
www.bmwbmw.org local club, lots of advice, lots of "for sale" adds... bmw R bikes are pretty much indestructible....mine has over 82K miles on it and that is just broken in... |
#6
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BMWBMW is a local chapter of BMW MOA....like Potomac is to PCA.
Ibmwr.org is a good place to find bikes and parts for sale.
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1983 911 SC Targa - 1990 944 S2 |
#7
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Quote:
I was thinking they had to be somewhat DIY friendly for the guys you see taking them on round the world trips. I figured if those guys were taking them through Africa or wherever they were probably able to fix them with a rock and some sticks. cmartin- I've not seen a GS in person, but they look HUGE in the Netflix series. They look tall and heavy. And how common is it for the ABS to need repair? I see ABS being an option on most models. Is it something to avoid? What other adventure suggestions do you have?
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Ryan 1976 911S Targa 3.2 swap |
#8
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I took a rider class a few years ago and a poor guy dumped his GS while we did some tight parking lot cone drills. It took 2 people to pick it up. I think they are badass bikes and great for highway and some fire road type stuff but just didnt do it for me. Tons of folks love them so they are doing something right for sure.
I dont think they are troublesome but when/if stuff breaks it's a bmw and some systems are $$. Nothing wrong with that, just know what you are getting into. One cool thing about bikes is there are so many different models, each one with a different compromise. After watching Long way around I wanted a GS, then I wanted a klr650, then it was a honda... each worked in it's own way. klr650 is a great do just about anything bike, after 2008 especially, but the GS kills it on the highway. GS's are too big, too me, for offroad use, where the klr does pretty good. Lots of guys make me sound like a fool and do some crazy stuff offroad on a GS. Just depends what you want and are comfortable with.
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78 SC, the 'Red Car' |
#9
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cmartin- Do you have a KLR650? That is another one I like and I'd like to hear more about it.
I'm trying to find something that would fit me. I plan for it to see lots of time on the road as a commuter, and that will be its main purpose. I say I'd like to get out and explore the backroads, and fire roads of GSMNP, but with two little ones at home I choose to be at home a lot right now. But in the end I think I know this will mostly be a commuter type bike.
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Ryan 1976 911S Targa 3.2 swap |
#10
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The Funduro (GS650) isn't very big. A girl in germany I "used to know" drove one and its fairly anemic. It has a rotax thumper and no shaft drive. BMW outsourced those to bring the cost down. As mentioned a KLR or something offroad will whoop up on the small GS. My brother just bought a V-strom which IMO is way better than the Funduro. His buddy has a KLR and the KLRs off-road prowess (and knobby tires!) show when the going gets rough (they do take fire roads and such in southwest VA). But the Vstrom absolutely walks away on pavement.
Any bike short of a light dirt-bike is hard to pick up. I can lever up my old "small" FZR w/ some difficulty and that was a mere 400# wet which is about as light as street bikes get. Anything like the bigger GSes or Honda African Twin that has their center of mass higher for ground clearance is a mess to get back upright but there are tricks how to do it (turn around, back to it, and use your legs!) IMO, ABS is good for anything but a pure dirt bike (or dedicated track toy.) My duc is the last year to not have it standard and its the one thing that would make me upgrade. I ride mtbs alot and can slide one of those around all day but my right foot doesn't have the same delicate control that my left index finger does. I've prob slid the rear end of a bike on every panic stop I've ever made. Never dumped one but its touch to modulate your foot in a panic. So for a street bike w/ less than expert rider its adds a big safety margin (that I wish I had.) Edit: Now seeeing your post about mostly road use. IMO, Don't buy a KLR (or any other dirt bike.) GREAT bike but its not a road bike. Just a dirt-bike w/ blinkers and tags to make it legal. A GS/Vstrom/multistrada etc that are road focused but can off-road some will be much more suitable/enjoyable.
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Stephen www.salazar-racing.com 1970 914/6 - 3.0L GT 1983 911SC - 3.32L IROC 1984 930 2008 S2R1000, dirt bikes (some gas, some electric), Sherco trials bike Sold: 2001 Boxster (hers), 2003 996tt x50 , SpecE30, 1996 E36M3 GTS2 racecar, 2015 Mustang GT |
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